The Ritual of Life
by TC Stark
Summary: A mortal meets the god of the dead; Anubis. He then shatters everything she has ever known about the world. As the god of the dead he's lived thousands of years alone. Can she then shatter his world? Rated M for mature audiences.
1. Chapter 1

TC Stark: Hello, hello! This story is also posted on fictionpress and I wanted to see how it'd fair on this sight! Just to let you guys know I've written at least 36 pages of this story already. I was going to post the story when I had it all finished, but I was eager to get it out and see what you guys think! Some concepts in this story are farfetched, but keep an open mind cause we are talking about Egyptian mythology here lol Reviews are always welcomed as well as constructive criticism. No flames. Well, I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Egyptian mythology, but all original characters are mine!

Chapter One

It's the summer of 2011 and I'm waiting at an airport. It's actually the trip of a lifetime. A group of only ten students from my college are being sent out for a two week trip to Egypt. We'll be exploring the pyramids, towns, and museums. And the great thing is that the trip goes towards credits to help us all graduate maybe a little sooner.

I'm probably the last person you'd suspect to be into Egyptian mythology. Quite the contrary. I love any type of ancient mythology; Greek, Roman, Egyptian, practically anything. My family and I are Irish Catholic and even though I can still have faith and be interested in these ancient cultures, my family doesn't quite understand. And they really didn't understand when I told them this is what I wanted to do for a living.

Still, I worked hard at a hair salon for my money so I was paying half of this trip. The other half was paid by the school. And all in all I think any family likes to see a child appreciate the worth of a dollar. I wasn't asking them for help. This was my passion and I was going to do anything to achieve it.

If we look at Egyptians today we can pretty much guess that the majority had tanned skin and black hair. I on the other hand was typically pale, had long reddish hair, and green eyes. The good thing was the only freckles I really had was a couple on my cheeks. My poor siblings got the brunt of that Irish feature.

As I waited in the airport, I took a look at the TV above which stated the temperature for Egypt. Jesus, 85 degrees. It was a good thing I was wearing a black spaghetti strapped shirt with jeans shorts with a studded belt and these really cool gladiator style sandals. I'm 5'5" with a thin frame with luckily a proportioned bone structure and whatever fat I did have went to my chest and behind. Besides that I was pretty thin and liked to work out so I had definition.

My hair was pulled back in an up ponytail and my black lined eyes were covered by sunglasses. Suddenly one of my very annoying classmates Anthony was walking towards me. It was that I hated him, he was just annoying…and very fat…and very smelly.

"Hey, Alexis, I think you'll fit right into Egypt." He snickered. I may have been pale, but this kid was the pastiest mother fucker I've ever seen.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He was probably referring to my body art. I didn't have much. Only five in fact. I had the Eye of Horus on my right back shoulder, a cross on the other, my name in Egyptian hieroglyphics on my right hip, a very very small Ankh on my left wrist, and a small Jesus fish on my right ankle. They may have been conflicting ideologies, but they were what made me.

My ears are pierced and so is my left nostril. A very small little diamond. And while we're sharing, so are my nipples. But, that stays between you and me.

"Anthony, why are you even going on this trip? You know nothing of Egyptian culture."

Taking a huge gulp of his slurpie, he explained, "Cause, it's a free fucking vacation."

Oh yes, that's right. I had almost forgotten that Anthony's parents practically paid for everything. I don't think Anthony ever worked a day in his life and the way it was looking he probably never will. Honestly, I really just wanted to get in the plane already and dose off.

* * *

><p>Eleven hours and a bus ride later we were finally in Cairo. Oh my it was beautiful. And yes, it was very hot. I don't really want to bore you with the details of this magnificent place; you'll really just have to go there yourself. Considering how long the flight was, our teachers informed us we weren't going to be doing an educational sightseeing today. We were allowed to stay at the hotel and explore its luxuries as much as we wanted.<p>

Since Egypt as you know is in a bit of political unrest right now we're really not allowed to be outside the hotel without some sort of body guard. That's ok, I kind of wanted to settle in and let my body get use to the significant time difference.

My roommate Hanna was a lot like me. We were both exhausted, but didn't want to spend any time not taking full advantage of our stay here. It was about eight at night so I could think of no other place I'd rather be than the bar. I had just turned 21 and she was 23 so we were well over the legal drinking age for this country. Though, some of the people on our trip were freshmen and were as young as 18. They were allowed to drink beer though.

We found ourselves at the bar, Hanna chatting my ear off. I took this time to look around and see there were a lot of business men, speaking rapidly in their native tongue. I tried to imagine what this place would be like in ancient times. That's where I'd really like to be.

"Alexis?"

Turning my head, I lazily smiled, "Sorry, Hanna, I'm just day dreaming."

"Don't worry. I can imagine this is probably a dream come true for you."

Proudly I grinned and nodded, "You really have no idea. I remember the first time I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The last place I got to see that day was the King Tut exhibit. I knew what my passion was right there and then."

"Right-o!" She clinked her glass with mine before inviting me out for a cigarette.

Already this girl had gone out and bought what she thought to be most important; cigarettes. I watched her place one between her lips and bring the flame from a match to the tip of it. I felt my toes curl as she breathed in, enjoying the smoke trickling down her throat.

She turned me to me in what it seemed like slow motioned, the smoke seeping out of her lips and nostrils. I could hardly hear what she was asking me until the third time, "Alexis! Do you want a cigarette?"

Biting my lower lip, I stared at the death sticks. It had been a year since I quit, feeling I had done pretty well for myself. But, after seeing the enjoyment Hanna got out of it, I couldn't resist picking one out of her pack. Well, when in Rome…Egypt. Ignoring the scolding voices in my head, I put the object in between my lips and waited for my roommate to light me up. It was Heaven.

* * *

><p>The night came and went. Two drinks each and five cigarettes split between us we were ready to fall asleep. It was a good thing considering how early we were woken up in the morning. The first day was dedicated to seeing modern Egyptian life. My mind was a bit on auto-pilot as we walked through the villages and go to see a more socialized land than what I had wanted to see.<p>

It was only until the next day I was truly excited. It was the day we'd be seeing some pyramids. You had to see how gorgeous everything was. It was like taking a step back in time. As my fingers brushed against the stone walls, I felt a shudder up and down my spine. It was honestly breathtaking. I couldn't believe I was here, honestly.

Of course though something had to ruin my good moment. While practically making love to the wall, I had fallen behind the group. Unfortunately someone had also. I watched Anthony taking pictures with a bright flash on, something that was forbidden to do.

Narrowing my eyes I walked over to him and scolded, "Anthony! What are you doing?"

"Getting my money's worth," He rolled his eyes, and continued to take more pictures, "Take a chill pill. Ain't like anyone's using these things anymore."

"This is all we have of a world that is thousands of years old! Evidence we have of this civilization! If you desecrate it, that's it."

Rolling his eyes, he turned to me, "Why do you care so much anyway, Alexis? These are tourist attractions. Do you think Egypt really cares about this as anything else other than a meal ticket?"

"Yes."

"Well, then you're retarded."

Ok, he infuriated me.

I went to walk away when I turned around to see something that truly horrified me. Ok, maybe I was overreacting a little, but this guy was seriously ruining my trip. Right in front of a drawing of Anubis, the god of the dead, did Anthony whip himself out and start urinating. My mouth hung open as I hissed, "What are you doing!"

"I gotta piss, stop looking."

My hand cupped my mouth as I turned around. By now we had really lost the group and I was tempted to just leave him there. I was so infuriated though, I really didn't know what to do. When he had finished he came up behind me and snickered, "Aw, what? Did I _rain _on your parade?"

"That was such a bad joke," I narrowed my eyes, "That was so disrespectful."

"Oh my God, Alexis! Shut up, you're so annoying when it comes to this shit. Who the fuck cares about some fucking cave drawings that dumbass people drew thousands of years ago of gods that don't even exist!"

Before I was able to reply, we felt a small rumble. Shocked, we looked at each other before something unbelievable happened. Turning to the wall Anthony had urinated on, I couldn't believe my eyes. The drawing on Anubis suddenly was outline in a blinding light, forcing me to shield my eyes. A figure came from the drawing, his foot hitting the ground with such intensity.

You probably don't believe me. But, out of the wall Anubis, the god of the dead, stood in front of us. He was about seven feet tall. His canine teeth snarled at us, his eyes completely white. He had the head of a jackal, his feet were beast-like, and his entire body was black. Did you know why Anubis's body is black? Not because the skin of a jackal is black, but because it was suppose to symbolize rotting flesh and the black soil of the Nile.

What the fuck am I doing spewing facts at a time like this!

I took a step back, looking up at the beast in front of me with wide eyes. He didn't really seem to be paying much attention to me, giving it all to a quivering Anthony. I was afraid I'd witness his death as Anubis was wielding a great scythe. By now my fat classmate was crying, on his knees begging for mercy.

"How dare you desecrate these ruins," He snarled in a booming voice, "Get out of here before I cut your dick off!"

Well, that's the one thing a man never wants to hear. I never saw Anthony run so fast in my life, leaving me in front of the god. I gulped as his attention turned to me, stepping forward. I stood so still I was sure I had stopped breathing. His nostrils reach me, letting of a gust of air.

"You too, get out of here."

Needless to say I got the fuck out of there.

* * *

><p>When I had caught up to the rest of the group, they hadn't even noticed I wasn't there. Anthony looked shook up and understandably so. I went the whole rest of the day I bit on auto-pilot as well. But, this time it was for a different reason. Had I gone mad? It couldn't be that I had just witnessed an ancient god thought to just be a myth literally crawl out from a stone wall. But, there was no denying it. I had seen him with my own eyes and felt his breath upon me. That had to be real.<p>

We had also visited the museum in Cairo, my eyes fixed on the jackal statue found in King Tut's grave site. Was Anubis real? Was Egyptian mythology not a myth? I couldn't wrap my head around it. As fascinating as the stories were…they were just stories. Or else I had thought so. It must be the heat.

* * *

><p>At eight that night there was a knock on my door. Hanna had left for the night with another classmate of ours after I told her I didn't feel up to it. I was too wrapped up in my thoughts. I had almost forgotten about whoever was at the door, hopping out of my bed, "What are you doing here?"<p>

"We need to talk." He stated while barging in my room.

Holding my elbows, I looked away, "There's nothing to talk about."

"Alexis, I almost died!"

"Keep your voice down."

He looked at me sternly as I frowned, "It couldn't be."

"B-But it was….I saw it."

"So did I…but I mean…" I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I couldn't think right now, "We can't tell anyone."

I had never seen Anthony's face the way it was before. His face looked drained. I guess you could say he really looked like he had seen a ghost. There were really no words for us to say to each other, him leaving soon after. I really needed to clear my head, what having happened still not registering.

* * *

><p>While walking around the hotel on auto-pilot, I ended up on the bottom floor. It was late at night and it freaked me out a little that there was no one around. But, at this point I felt like nothing else could scare me after what I've been through. Had I dreamed it all? Was Anubis, <em>the <em>god of the dead, really in front of me?

Suddenly I passed by a room with what looked like what they were trying to pass as an ancient pool. They made a valiant effort, peering my eyes in. It was actually very nice with statues of the gods decorating the area. Hieroglyphs graced the edging of the gold pool, giving the illusion of royalty. It was so hot the idea of taking a dip in the pool sounded heavenly.

Taking a look around, I noticed there were no security cameras around as I grasped the doorknob. To my surprise it wasn't locked, careful to shut the door quietly behind me. The pool was lit despite it being now ten at night, much later than I'm sure people were allowed to be in the pool.

Crouching down, I touched my finger tips against the cool water. It felt so good I had to be in it. This was probably very against rules, but the teachers hadn't given us a specific time we needed to be back. Just that we stay in the hotel. Well, I was in the hotel so I didn't see the harm in it.

No one was around, that I had made sure of several times over. My wild side seemed to come out as I felt myself stripping down to just my bra and underwear. I was so ecstatic about jumping into the water, feeling the cool liquid splashing against my skin. It was that perfect temperature where it wasn't insanely cold but cool enough to cool me down.

"Free spirited, are we?"

My heart suddenly stopped as I spun around quickly in the water to see someone standing above me. Jesus, where had this guy come from? I was mortified that I was in my lingerie in front of a strange man. Quite a good looking one I might add; obviously Egyptian. The man I would say was in his mid to late twenties, about 6'3" with a lean body, olive tanned skin, black hair pulled back by a gold band that rest below his shoulders, and kohl-lined dark eyes.

What I really noticed about him was his attire. His dress was similar to that of ancient Egyptians. His wrists were cuffed with gold, his defined chest exposed to show a variety of hieroglyphic tattoos, a dramatic gold necklace, a white skirt, and sandals. What I really noticed about him was his defined facial features, though very exotic resembled that of a jackal I'd say. I guess it was his nose really.

"Are you a guard or something? I'll get out."

He waved me off and sat on the edge of the pool, letting his legs dangle in the water, "Enjoy your swim. No one will be coming down."

I looked at him cautiously, for a moment forgetting I was in a pool alone with a stranger. Instead I wanted answers, "Who are you?"

"I live around here."

"That doesn't answer my question."

He then gave me a dashing grin so I could see his bright white teeth, "We've met earlier in the day."

I tried to think for a moment if I could remember seeing him anywhere during the course of the day. Then again after the supernatural event that had occurred earlier in the day I had forgotten all afterwards, "I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

"Oh, well, perhaps it's because my attire is different."

Raising my eyebrows, I suddenly let out a small scream as like magic the man in front of me transformed into the monster. I tried to hop out of the pool, my arm being tugged. When I had turned around there was a man in front of me again, "Careful, you'll trip."

My mouth hung open as I couldn't find the strength to move out of his grasp. For some reason his very touch seemed to leave me frozen. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. The man in front of me was no longer some strange Egyptian, rather a magician of sorts. That's it; it had to be all an illusion. Or a dream. Or maybe I wasn't supposed to be in this land. IT would only make sense that when I make the trip of a lifetime my life is in jeopardy.

"Still yourself," He slowly released my arm as I sunk back into the pool where he seemed to magically appear in, "I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to go for a nice swim. It's quite beautiful, but really does no justice."

The man then placed his hand on the pool deck as he pulled out the biggest magic trick of all. Slowly a glimmer of light engulfed the whole room and what was left looked as if I were in ancient times. The gold looked real instead of paint and the design looked as if it would have in ancient times.

My eyes were once again widened as I backed away from him, "Ok, how the hell did you do that?"

My questioned seemed to please and amuse him as he sunk down to his shoulders and folded his arms, "I can do a lot of things. That's one of them…I can learn languages very quickly-"

"So you're a magician. Do you perform at the hotel?"

"Do you really think I'm some sort of mortal?"

He then sighed and rolled his eyes, "Even now you don't believe who I am?"

Shaking my head, I had to calm my nerves, "Ha-ha, Anubis, right? God of the dead? Inpu? _He who is in place of embalming?_"

"I prefer Anubis."

"No, no, no," I shook my head, "Impossible."

"Why?"

Narrowing my eyes, I explained, "I would have been dead by now."

"_Anubis" _seemed offended as he rested his elbows behind him on the pool deck, "I don't always go around killing people. My technical job was to lead people to the afterlife. To witness the weighing of the heart. I could have easily killed your little boyfriend. Disrespectful ass. How easily I could have ripped his soul from his body."

I folded my arms, "Anthony? He's not my boyfriend. And he's just ignorant. He knows nothing of the culture."

"Unlike you," He referred to my body art and also pointed to his own variety of worn hieroglyphic ink, "Though with your skin complexion you'd surely die under the weight of the sun."

Great, now the supposed Anubis was mocking me. I knew I was pale, but he didn't need to rub it in. I guess he saw the scowl on my face as he chuckled, "Don't worry, just wear sun tan lotion. Now, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, I am Anubis. And it's rude for you to know my name and not the other way around."

"Aren't you a god?"

"You're not under my district."

"District?"

It was then Anubis started explaining something really farfetched to me. I'll give you the shortened version. So basically, no one religion is right or wrong. There are people who believe this. Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, etc are all right. They all exist and basically whatever a person believes is who takes care of that person. This guy had to be kidding me; did he really expect me to believe him?

He went on to tell me since him and his fellow Egyptian gods as well as the other gods of ancient religions really weren't in business anymore they are were quite bored. Some guarded sacred places, others museums, and others just roamed around in human bodies learning about what the world was today. For thousands of years Anubis lived in the afterlife, but after people stopped believing in him he had no hearts to weigh. He took some time and spent it with Hades and that became boring. So for the last couple of centuries he spent it guarding the sacred pyramids and roaming the world.

Did I really have no other choice but to believe him? It sounded all really crazy and I was pretty sure I was being made a fool of. Still, he had shown me things no mortal man could do. I wondered…was he really who he said he was?

Caught in my world of thought, Anubis picked himself out of the pool, "Well, young lady, I'll be taking my leave now. Try not to let your friends piss off anymore gods." He then smiled and left the room, turning it back to its original form.


	2. Chapter 2

TC Stark: Yay! My first reviewer! An old friend ^^ Hi, AnnaDruvez! Anubis has always been my favorite of all the Egyptian deities! I just couldn't help, but write this story! And your comment had me cracking up! I might consider that in the future =P So, here's the second chapter, you get to see more of Anubis's fun personality; just because he's the god of the dead doesn't mean he can't have fun!

Disclaimer: I do not own Egyptian mythology or any mythology for that matter. But, pretty much all original characters are mine!

Chapter Two

It had been a week since my crazy encounter. I hadn't told anyone and had almost put it pass me. I wanted to enjoy my stay and enjoy seeing all we were suppose to. We had gone to ancient cities, explored some pyramids, and even got to tour with some archeologists exploring some ruins. The Temple of Ramses was cool, so was the Valley of the Kings, Giza, the Sphinx, etc. It was all great and you bet your ass I took pictures when I could.

I had spent the afternoon talking with an archeologist. He'd spent most of the time looking at pyramid writings. If I wanted to be a historian it'd be good if I knew how to read the ancient language. I already had a good grasp of some symbols, but it would probably take me years to master it. Still, it was exciting to think about.

"Hey, Alexis, that guy over there is checking you out."

Later on that night after a couple of drinks with Hanna and another female classmate Frankie, we found ourselves outside smoking. Frankie was 22 and absolutely gorgeous. Long platinum blonde hair, perfect make up, blue eyes, and a body to brag about. I had gone out with her several times before the trip and let's just say without fail all eyes were always on her.

So when she said some man was checking me out with her present I didn't believe her. That was until I turned my head to see "_Anubis" _heading towards me. Only he wasn't wearing what he was the first time we met. Tonight he wore his hair tied back with a regular hair tie and a pair of stylish aviator glasses resting atop his head. The first three buttons of his three quarter sleeved black blouse were undone and tucked into a pair of fitted jeans.

"Excuse me, miss, may I trouble you for a cigarette?" He grinned his white teeth widely, his ringed covered fingers amusedly holding his chin.

My cheeks blushed as my friends giggled and left me alone, "Why are you here?"

"For a cigarette."

I looked at him bewildered before taking out a pack and giving him one. I watched him light it up; imagining smoking was probably no big deal for a god. Pulling in a breath of my own cigarette, I stood there in silence. I had no idea what to say to him. I still had no idea what to think.

"So, Nefer, who were those two harlots outside with you?"

The harlot comment made me laugh so much I looked over the fact he had called me beautiful. I explained to him they were classmates on a trip and we'd be leaving in five days. He had called them harlots for their flashy clothing and makeup yet he was wearing his fair share of gold necklaces, hoop earrings, and rings with gods' faces on them.

With almost a sense of entitlement, Anubis led himself into the hotel and headed for the bar. I had a feeling he wanted me to follow and for some reason I did. Hanna and Frankie were on the other side of the bar giggling at me, causing me to roll my eyes. I sat down next to him and heard him speaking Arabic rapidly to the bartender, the man placing two Amaretto Sours in front of us. Many people thought you couldn't get alcohol in Egypt and even though a lot are Muslim you can get all sorts of spirits in hotels. Did you know in mythology beer was rumored to be introduced by Osiris?

As I brought the drink to my lips I received a text from Frankie. _He's yours? _I rolled my eyes and replied back a big fat _No. _Like a speeding bullet she was in front of Anubis, curving her body and puckering out her lips, "Frankie."

His dark eyes looked her up and down before taking her hand and kissing it, "Anubis."

"Ah, like the god?"

"Yes, my parents were…enthusiasts."

Adjusting her body, she leaned against the bar, "I love Egyptian culture."

"If you were alive during that time…you would have been very valuable."

I knew Anubis meant this comment as an insult, but the way he said it and his mannerisms led Frankie to believe he was complementing her. I rolled my eyes as she cooed, "Alexis, where have you been hiding this one?"

The male turned his head towards me and smiled victoriously, "Alexis, huh?"

Jesus, Frankie, did you really have to do that? I continued to drink the alcoholic beverage as my friend continued to put her moves on Anubis. I finished my drink and went towards Hanna, feeling highly uncomfortable where I was. She seemed to have a great old time watching the blonde try and get in a god's pants. No one knew I had witnessed him transform into his beast form just a week ago.

* * *

><p>Hanna and I had left that night and had gone back to our room. She was yacking my ear off about how gorgeous Anubis was and how badly she wished she could have the confidence Frankie did to just approach him. I really could care less. There was no doubt his human form was good looking, but when I looked at him I couldn't help but think how I was in the presence of a god. In the matter of a half hour he had shattered everything I had known for 21 years of living. If he was what he said he was, then a small part of me felt intimidated. Yet he approached me as if I were worthy.<p>

My short haired friend was in the shower as I was reading my book on ancient gods. According to my book Anubis had a wife called Anput and a daughter Kebechet. If he really had a family, what was he doing hitting on my friend? Though, I shouldn't talk. In ancient Egyptian times it was highly normal for a Pharaoh to have multiple wives consisting of sisters, cousins, daughters, etc.

There was then a knock on the door as I closed my book and opened the door. Leaning in my doorframe was Anubis, looking down at me, "Now, tell me, Alexis, why did you flee?"

"You were flirting with Frankie," I folded my arms, "I sure hope you didn't expect me to stay for the show."

Anubis let out a laugh and shook his head, "I'm not like your mortals with a one track mind. And nothing will happen with your easy friend, I don't appreciate women just throwing themselves at me."

"Besides, I'm sure Anput wouldn't appreciate it."

He then rolled his eyes, "I hate that story," I raised my eyebrows in question, "Do you honestly believe that garbage? I have no wife or child. People just wanted to make that up so I wasn't some lone god. Honestly though, I'm the god of the dead, my jackal skin is made of rotting flesh. Who would want me?"

"Osiris is mummy."

"Yes, but, he was with Isis before the poor chap was chopped into 14 pieces by Set. Honestly, Anput? My female aspect? It just sounds made up. Our names are practically the same, she has a jackal head, there's practically nothing on her, and she _created herself. _Honestly, so impractical."

It was my turn to roll my eyes, "A lot of things you've told me seem impractical."

Dramatically he placed one hand over his heart and the other on his forehead, "I'm so hurt. Would I tell you anything false when we've become such close friends?"

Now I couldn't help but laugh, he was just so comical. For the first time I really put my guards down in front of him and joked back, "I'm sure Frankie was heartbroken. No one turns her down."

"She'll have to learn rejection sometime," He waved off, "I'm here to ask you to dinner tomorrow."

"I thought we were such close friends."

"Friends can take other friends out to dinner. I know this area, you don't. Besides, you leave in five days."

* * *

><p>The next night I found myself waiting downstairs for Anubis to pick me up. That day we were allowed to explore the local market freely…with a bodyguard. I bought some nice jewelry and partook in a camel ride, which hurt the hell out of my thighs. Since we were just friends I wore a normal outfit of jean shorts and an off the shoulder white T-Shirt. The shirt hung loosely off my thin frame, allowing the small breeze that was outside to brush against me freely.<p>

I'm sure my teachers wouldn't be too happy about us leaving the hotel, but we were all adults and the teachers themselves spent the night out on the town. A tad hypocritical, eh? None of them were at the hotel and I doubt anyone would notice I was gone, I hadn't even told Hanna where I was going.

It didn't surprise me when Anubis pulled up to the front of the hotel with an Egyptian Mercedes-Benz. Pharaohs had no problem showing off their wealth and the hieroglyphs depicted their gods followed suit. This was just his modern day way of showing off.

I enjoyed his car, smirking, "Flashy car."

"Do you like?" He revved up the engine, "I only recently learned to drive one of these."

"I'm scared."

Anubis simply laughed as he sped away, causing me to grip my leather bound seat. It was only until my heart stopped pounding I asked him if this was the form he normally was in. He let me know it was only when he wanted to explore the "mortal" world did he take a human form. Unless that is he wanted to scare of some tomb thieves in which he took his beast form. That was also the form he was in while in Duat and sometimes he'd walk around in his actual jackal dog form.

He took me to what looked like a restaurant for the young people of Egypt who wanted hold on to their culture yet embrace modern ways. The music was pumping and belly dancers were everywhere. Still, it was a new look into Egypt that I probably wouldn't have witnessed if it weren't for him.

A bottle of wine was placed on our table as I struggled to read the menu, which was all in Arabic. Anubis snickered at me while ordering what he wanted with ease. I decided to go with the same thing, it was just easier. That smug look stayed on his face as he poured me a glass of wine, "I do apologize. But, if you're looking to become a historian it'd probably be a good idea to learn the language."

"I wanted to master hieroglyphics first."

"I can help you with you that. Now, as amazing as the ancient language is, now Egypt is made up of a variety of the Arabic language. You should work on your accent."

"I feel as I'm set up to fail."

Anubis gave me a genuine smile while bringing his wine glass to his lips and taking a sip, "Nonsense. You'll do fine. I have to say though; you should concentrate on your present rather than putting all your focus on the past."

"I don't just focus on the past," I sighed, "It just fascinates me. All of it. No one is that adventurous and free thinking anymore. I feel like every day is the same routine even when I have nothing to do."

"Life is what you make it. How do you think I feel? You don't even want to guess my age."

Once again I let out a laugh as our Mahshi dishes were places in front of us, relieved to see it was rice stuffed green peppers in a tomato sauce with lemon. I went to go dig in as suddenly a man slammed his hands down on Anubis's shoulders, causing him to turn around rapidly. I saw the seriousness in his face suddenly turn into humor, "Dionysus!"

"Anubis, old friend! What are you doing and drinking?" He seemed to ask in one breath as he took the Egyptian god's glass and sipped the wine.

It seemed to amuse him as I observed the other man. His skin was lighter than Anubis's yet darker than mine, he was tall and muscular, and had short brown hair and full beard that was trimmed. He had a very Mediterranean look to him. He was wearing a very loose fitting white button down shirt. This man basically looked very relaxed, like a partier.

He turned to me, as if eying my wine before Anubis stopped him, "Dionysus, honestly."

"I cannot help myself," He laughed flamboyantly, "And you are, my dear?"

I smiled small and replied, "Alexis."

"Dionysus," He grinned and took my hand, "Have you ever been to Greece before, dear?"

Now I was really blushing, "Never."

He was by now running his finger over the roof of my hand, "Well, one day you must simply go. Perhaps we can meet there."

The man referred to as Dionysus sheepishly grinned over to Anubis who by now was giving him a look, but ultimately smiled as well. Finally the light skinned man let go of my hand and saluted us both off, "You two have yourselves a good night. Anubis, lets meet up sometime."

"Yes, lets." Anubis lifted his glass and nodded.

As the other man left, I raised my eyebrow over at him, "Dionysus?"

Digging a fork into his food, he replied nonchalantly, "Yes, y'know. Greek god of wine?"

I blinked my eyes, as he continued to eat his dinner. I slowly began to dig into my food, which was very good. Very rich of seasons and spices. But, I couldn't think of food at this moment. If I was correct, I had just met a god from a different mythology just walking around as Anubis was. And they knew each other! Oh my god…he really was Anubis, god of the dead. He was right.

My mouth hung open, feeling him reach over to gently push my chin up, "Problem?"

"Oh my God…you…you're Anubis; god of the dead."

Puzzled, he chewed his food before replying, "Yes, I told you that."

I held my head, shocked, "Wow…I guess it didn't hit me till now. I mean…you're a god. I'm in the presence of a god."

He smiled, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to worship me. Though, I do insist you eat your food before it becomes cold."


	3. Chapter 3

TC Stark: Hi, guys! So, I gotta say really quickly I hope no one minds the length of the chapters. As I said I just have 36 pages in one document so it's hard deciding where to break up the chapters. Things kinds jump here, I apologize. Thank you again to my reviewers! ^^ Love you!

Disclaimer: All original characters are mine!

Chapter Three

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Three. My older sister Dalia is 25, my brother Cameron is 19, and Courtney is 15."

"Do they all look like you?"

I giggled and shook my head, "They all are covered with freckles. Dalia's hair is blonde and a good three inches taller than me. Cameron is really tall and has my red hair and his cheeks are always really red. And Courtney magically had a light brown hair although she died it black. We call her the milk man's baby."

Anubis laughed at my joke as we were both on our third glass of wine, continuing, "Courtney and Cameron are really into sports, they go to games together all the time. Court wants to be a pharmacy technician, Cameron wants to be a sports reporter and just broke up with his girlfriend, and Dalia is a hair colorist and has been with her girlfriend for two years now."

"What a colorful bunch," He laughed. I could see him trying to picture them all, "I thought you said your parents were Christian."

"They are. But, they love all of us. I think that's what is most important. Dalia is a lesbian, but she's also their daughter and they love her. Dalia is fabulous. Growing up I really looked up to her. She's absolutely beautiful, she was prom queen, and she's completely selfless."

"Is that why you work at a hair salon?"

I smiled sheepishly, "I'm just the secretary. I have absolutely no idea what to do with hair other then my own. But, I needed a job at the time and Dalia knew the salon needed someone at the main desk."

His ringed fingers reach out to gently touch my hair, holding a piece in his hand, "You do a fine job. It's a nice color, different than just black hair."

I didn't know what to make of him touching my hair, deciding to just go with it, "Your hair looks nice black though."

"I would look odd with any other color." He laughed.

The check soon came as I saw him reach for it. I knew he wanted to take me out to dinner, but my hand had had made a dash for it. I wasn't use to people paying for me besides my parents when we went out. I'd like to think of myself as very self-sufficient. I felt as long as I had a job there was no reason why I couldn't pay and if I didn't have a job I shouldn't be going out.

We were outside as Anubis brought out a pack of cigarettes, offering me one which I took gladly. My green eyes watched him bring the lit lighter up to the tip of my cigarettes, waiting for me to inhale. Once mine was lit he went to light his own, "Where do you live?"

"Westchester, New York. Only about 15 minutes away from New York City."

"I've been in New York around the 1800s. What does your summer entail?"

I shrugged while smoking another cigarette, "Working at the salon, going to clubs in the city, going to the beach, basically try to enjoy my last summer before I really need to buckle down."

Letting out a puff of smoke into the dark air, he sighed, "Ah, just when my time was starting to look fun. Now, you're leaving me."

Smiling, I felt flattered while scratching the back of my neck, "I'm…sorry. I'm sure you'll find some entertainment. You are a god after all."

"It's not all its cracked up to be."

I gave a lopsided smile as he took something out of his pocket. It was a silver chain with a cartouche holding a jackal hanging from it. He reached around my neck to fasten the clasp together, finding it rested easily between my collar bones. I looked up at him as he smiled back at me, "Something to remember Egypt by."

I was touched by his gift, taking off one of my unisex rings and gave it to him, "A promise that I will definitely return."

The two of us smiled to each other as we finished our cigarettes and then drove back to the hotel.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back!"<p>

I got back to JFK Airport at 5pm four days after my dinner with Anubis. My parents greeted me happily. Even though a piece of me might have stayed in Egypt I actually really missed my family in America. I hugged my mom and dad so tightly, as if I hadn't seen them in years.

On the ride back my parents commented on how tan I look and flooded me with questions. Like what did I see, how were the people, were there a lot of bugs, was it really hot, etc. I gladly answered all their questions as well as adding some other details. Well all details except my encounter with a god.

Mom turned around to notice the necklace dangling from my neck, "That's a gorgeous necklace, Alexis, did you get that from your trip?"

My fingers touched the necklace and smiled, "Yes…I got it at a stand in Cairo."

"Well, its very nice," My dad smiled from the driver's seat, "I hope you brought something back for us." He teased.

"Of course!"

When we had gotten home, I made sure to distribute the gifts and put camera's memory card into the computer so my family could take a look at them. The next day I would have to go back to the salon so I wanted to get to bed early. I know it sounded a bit crazy to go to work the day after an eleven hour flight, but after a two week trip to Egypt I needed the money.

I was sitting at the kitchen counter eating a sandwich as Cameron came up behind me, "Hey, Lex, what cha eating?"

"Not for you." I laughed with a mouthful of sandwich. I swear my brother was so thin but could eat like a horse.

Instead he reach for a plate of brownies that no doubt Courtney had made earlier, she loved to bake. With a mouthful of brownie, he asked, "So, how was rooming with Hanna? Did she snore?"

I laughed, "Like a bear."

My brother let out a loud laugh, "Oh God, I'm telling you that little amount of time we dated sucked. And she wondered why I never wanted to sleep over."

"Poor girl." I snickered.

* * *

><p>I had gone to bed not long after finishing my sandwich, relieved to see my room was just the way I had left it. Recently Dalia had moved out to share a studio apartment with her girlfriend Cynthia. The two both had extremely expensive tastes and I knew they must have loved decorating their nice apartment. I loved my sister, but I was happy when she moved out because that meant I moved out of the room I shared with Courtney and into Dalia's old room. So now the three of us could have our own spaces.<p>

It was 8am and I was due at work. My sister Dalia grinned from ear to ear as she hugged me, "Darling! Welcome back!"

"Dee, you highlighted your hair, it's looks great."

She tucked a piece behind her ear and winked, "Thank you, when are you going to let me highlight your hair."

Walking to my desk, I shook my head, "I like my hair, stay away. Go do Cynthia's hair."

As I turned on the computer, my older sister leaned against the desk and pouted, "She won't let me. But, she did let me cut it. I gave her a cute pixie hair cut."

It was cute to see how giddy my sister was towards Cynthia, they were truly so cute together. Except for when she wanted to talk about their sex life; I could've been spared those details. I looked at my appointment book, we still had an hour before the first appointment. There were never many stylists here this early in the morning, just us sisters and two others.

"So, any gorgeous men in Egypt?"

I bit my lower lip and knew I couldn't hide it, "One."

"Oh la la! Do tell, dear sister!"

"Nothing happened," I flicked my eyes up at her, "It wasn't like that. Besides, Frankie had her eyes all over him."

Dalia waved me off and stood up, "That girl can take her dick sucking lips elsewhere. Honestly, keep it classy."

I laughed and waved my head as the boss walked in, me and my sister trying to contain our laughter. The older man looked at us curiously before shaking his head amusedly. We exchanged glares before we both went back to our designated jobs for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Work ended for me that day at 4pm when the last client had come in. My sister was still working as were some of the other stylists. But, I knew they weren't going to be taking anyone else so my boss had let me go. I had then went home to relax a little before I received a call from a good friend Terry who wanted me to go out that tonight. I really wasn't going to, but she brought up the good point that it was the summer and we probably hadn't gone out to a club in God knows when.<p>

So I found myself standing in front of my mirror applying my makeup. I had just straightened my hair and picked out an outfit. I would be wearing a strapless mini dress that flared out a little at the end and had thick red and black horizontal stripes. My feet would probably hate me by the end of the night but I decided to wear black three inch high heels.

As I was applying my black eyeliner over gold shimmering eye shadow, Courtney appeared in my doorframe, "Going out tonight?"

"Yup, with Terry, Joanne, Ricky, Layla, and James."

"James?" She sounded confused, "Didn't you two break up?"

One eye down, one eye to go, "Three months ago. But, c'mon, Court, we've known each other since we were 13. I mean we've been on again off again since I was 16. I lost my virginity to him."

"Is he the only one you've slept with?"

I just finished the other eye, "No, but I can count my sexual partners on one hand," I then turned to her, "What about you?"

Suddenly he face turned beet red, "None."

I smiled while kissing the raven haired girl's cheek, hearing a car honk outside. It was ten at night and Ricky was picking me up. Ricky was Joanne's boyfriend and didn't drink so he was always designated driver. Though that night the rest of the crew was already in the city and were waiting for us. I bid my parents goodbye and hoped into Ricky's car.

"Where are we going tonight?"

"You know, somewhere loud where people are dancing everywhere and drunk bitches are falling down."

I snickered while lighting up a cigarette as Ricky sped off, "Some people just can't hold their liquor."

The dark skinned man rolled his eyes while laughed, "Oh, please, don't you remember the night I had to carry you and Joanne because you two decided to take one too many jello shots?"

Biting my lower lip and placing a finger on my nose, I giggle in remembrance, "Might make it round number two."

I'm sure Ricky _loved _that.

* * *

><p>Ricky was right. We were at one of the tons of nightclubs that were short lived yet had a crazy night life. There were people dancing everywhere as strobe lights filled the room. The bar was probably as long as one wall and insanely crowded. I couldn't believe we even were able to get in, honestly. Somehow we managed to always do so, I guess we just looked like a good crowd.<p>

Joanne and Ricky were busy on the dance floor as the rest of us sat around a table on high barstools. The tables were on a level about three or four steps above the dance floor to differentiate the two. Terry, Layla, and I were sipping on Malibu Bay Breezes while James drank his Jack and Coke.

James was about 5'10" with muscular build and wide shoulders. He had fair skin, short blonde hair, and Hazel eyes. Tonight he was wearing a green short sleeved collared shirt, and a pair of beige dickies pants. A part of me would always love James, but when you really boiled it down the two of us were just friends. There were always so many problems when we started up dating again. James was also extremely jealous and I just couldn't deal with that suffocation.

"Egypt, wow. You've been blabbing about that place since we met." James shouted over the music.

I rolled my eyes with a smile while sipping on my drink, "It was gorgeous! I can't wait until my next visit."

"You're going to go back?"

"Of course, James. I plan on spending a lot of time there. I'll be studying the history."

Shaking his head, he pointed out, "There's no money in that anymore, Lex. You're gonna be spending your life in hot weather with deceased bugs playing in sand. Now, the medical field, thattt's what you should be looking at."

I frowned, he never understood, "I don't care about the money. It's what makes me happy."

"Will you be happy living poorly?"

Frowning again, I quickly finished my drink and excused myself to go get another one. I guess it was because we were fresh out of a breakup that things felt awkward. Normally in between James and I got along fine. Maybe I was overreacting, it's not like his opinion on my career choice had changed overnight. He had always felt this way and I had always just brushed it off my shoulder.

Leaning over the bar, I tried desperately to flag over a bartender to order a drink. Unfortunately it was loud and there was an insane amount of people. It was buying me some time away from James, but I was looking to get saucy that night. Just then a bartender walked over and placed a Cosmopolitan in front of me, "I didn't order this!"

"No, but he did!" The bartender shouted over the music before walking away.

I grabbed the drink and turned my head towards the end of the bar. My mouth hung open as I saw Anubis lift his glass. Shaking my head, I took my drink over as he turned around in his swivel stool with a grin, "Look at this number. I didn't think you went all out like this."

Laughing, I leaned in, "I didn't think it would be appropriate for Egypt!"

"You look great," He leaned into my ear before lifting up the necklace, "And you're wearing it."

"Yes, I love it."

I decided not to ask Anubis how he knew I was here or how he got here, instead I decided to just go along with it and enjoy my drink. It would have been rude to leave my group as I asked him if he'd like to meet my friends. Together we cut through the dance floor, stepping up to the tables. Joanne and Ricky seemed to come up for air by now, everyone getting a booth at this point since there were a bunch of us.

Everyone turned to me and the new face, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Anubis. We met in Egypt. And this is Joanne, Ricky, Layla, Terry, and James."

Everyone went to shake his hand until he got to James who just seemed to eye him, "That was only a couple of days ago."

"I knew I'd be in town, it'd be nice to see a familiar face." Anubis retracted his hand. I could tell the two were sizing each other up as I bit my lip and scratched the back of my neck.

Eventually Anubis ended up sitting with us. I couldn't tell you how awkward it was to have James on one side and Anubis on the other. I could tell my ex was eying the Egyptian god and Terry was going absolutely going gaga for him, "So, Anubis, how did you and Alexis meet?"

He gave me a smirk as I shook my head and laughed, "I'm a security guard at the museum in Cairo and one of her friends was being quite the rude one."

"Ha," Layla laughed, "Lemme guess; Anthony."

"Yep." I nodded. Damn, this guy was good at his stories.

"I love a man in uniform." Terry cooed.

The whole group except James laughed, Ricky and Joanne letting us know they were going back on the dance floor. It was then Anubis turned to me, "Would you like to dance?"

I saw James out of the corner of my eyes narrowing his own eyes. I tucked a strand of red hair behind my ear and nodded. After all, he was my ex and I was allowed to dance with whoever I wanted to. Hopefully Layla would dance with him and distract him. I hated how no matter how many girls were there that he wanted to get with he always wanted to keep an eye on me.


	4. Chapter 4

TC Stark: Hi, guys! Well, I'd like to say thank you for the people who have reviewed this story and who are reading it =] This chapter is a little ugh…steamy? Lol Keep an open mind while reading it cause I'd like to hear what you guys haveta say about it =]

Disclaimer: All original characters are mine!

Chapter Four

I saw James out of the corner of my eyes narrowing his own eyes. I tucked a strand of red hair behind my ear and nodded. After all, he was my ex and I was allowed to dance with whoever I wanted to. Hopefully Layla would dance with him and distract him. I hated how no matter how many girls were there that he wanted to get with he always wanted to keep an eye on me.

Anubis's hand linked into mine as we went on the dance floor, feeling him pull me close. Our bodies weren't touching, but I could definitely feel his body heat. Even with heels on he was significantly taller than me, straining to look up at him. Our hips swayed in the same direction, him now reeking of sexuality. I took in a deep breath as I could feel him pulling me closer.

"Who is that man? The angry one."

"My ex-boyfriend. We've been on and off for years. He's just…a little overprotective."

His arm then suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his body. I smelled his sexual aroma and became drunk with it. I couldn't believe what I was feeling. Suddenly I felt as if I wanted more of him, pressing more against him as his hips bucked slightly against mine. I gasped a little, feeling a bulge against my now burning void.

Slowly his fingers ran through my red hair, pulling my head back. I felt his lips going for my neck as I quickly pushed him away and ran back to the bar. I felt washed over with arousal. But, it was wrong. I was in a crowded room, my ex-boyfriend was watching, and he was a god! No, I couldn't let my hormones make this decision for me.

Somehow I managed to flag down a bartender and took a shot of Jager quickly, "What? You gonna just fuck that dude on the dance floor?"

"James," I rolled my eyes and turned to him, "Can't you stop being jealous for one second?"

His eyes narrowed, "You've never danced that way with me. Who the fuck is this guy?"

I wanted to tell him to watch his tongue that he was talking about a god who could easily take his life. Instead I took another shot and headed for the bathroom. Even in the lavatory the music was pumping as I held the edge of the sink, staring at myself in the mirror. My head was spinning and I didn't know what to think. Anubis was gorgeous, but until now I hadn't any sexual feelings for him.

As I splashed some water on my cheeks, the door to the bathroom slowly opened, and the god stepped in. My eyes widened as I could see the lust in his eyes, stepping backwards out of instinct. His own eyes locked with mine as he moved closer, taking my hand, and leading me into one of the stalls. Not thinking, I followed him, and watched him close the door even though there was no one else around.

My breath got caught in the back of my throat as I felt his finger brush pass my cheek and into my hair. Breathing had become all I could concentrate on as his lips slowly leaned into mine. They captured mine, lingering for a moment so I could taste them. Oh God…they felt amazing.

I felt his arm snake around my small waist to pull me close to his body, opening his mouth to slip his tongue into mine. As his lips moved, I found myself kissing him back. I didn't know if it was the alcohol or his allure, but I found myself devouring his mouth. I wanted more of his lips, our kissing turning into a passionate rhythm.

Anubis let out a small primal sound as he pushed me up against the wall, my right leg wrapping around his waist. With a shift movement his hands hoisted me up above the ground as both legs wrapped around his waist. That allowed his bulge full access to press against my void, causing me to let out a moan against his lips. He pushed harder against me while gently biting my lip, pulling it slightly. Oh God that turned me on.

I found my fingers running through his smooth hair, taking it out of its hair tie to let it hang freely. Lost in his kisses, I felt a slight euphoria that I could have been content with just kissing him. Not to mention the heat that was brewing inside of me, making me drunk with lust.

Apparently he was too as his lips left mine, slowly moving down my jaw line to an exposed spot on my neck. Craning my neck, the heat intensified as he moved his hips against me. His teeth were at my neck as his left hand tugged at my hair to just let me know he was in charge. I didn't mind, I practically melted in his arms.

Biting my lower lip, my legs quivered as he gently let my feet touch the ground. My dress skirt was lifted to expose my small panties, his eyes lustfully fixed on them. His fingers slowly ran down my flat stomach, making my head rush. I practically stopped breathing when he reached my panties, slowly rubbing my clit through the skimpy material.

"Oh God…" I breathed.

This caused a smile of satisfaction on his lips, pushing aside my panties to shove a finger into my wet sex. My grip of his hair tightened as his finger pushed further into me, watching the lustful look on his face. As a second finger joined the other in me he let out a groan, as if picturing what I'd feel like wrapped around his sexual member.

My mouth hung open as his fingers went back and forth, circling inside me. He then angled his fingers to push up against a spot that sent me spinning. My mouth hung open as my hips bucked against thrusts involuntarily. I knew what he was going to do as his knees bent and his face lowered down my stomach.

As his tongue brushed against me, I suddenly snapped back to reality and stepped back, "We can't do this."

"Why?" He looked stunned, still resting on his knees.

I tried to stop my head from spinning, speaking frantically, "Y-You're a god, I'm drunk, this is a bathroom, I hardly know you. No, no, no, no…"

It was then I ran out of the bathroom, leaving Anubis there shocked. I was sure being a god he wasn't use to rejection. Although, he did say he wasn't wanted often because he was the god of the dead. I had no idea why I as being so frantic. I had had casual sex before…why was I running from him when it was so good?

* * *

><p>Two weeks had gone by since the incident at the club. I hadn't heard from Anubis since. Instead I concentrated on work and reading up on my mythological history. It was all I could do to distract my mind from thinking about the desire I felt for the god. God it was so wrong, what was I thinking?<p>

Anubis was all I could think about these two weeks. Whenever someone would bring up a subject about just about anything I had to stop Anubis's name from spilling from my mouth. I felt honestly pathetic, having never gotten caught up in a man like this before. Even when James and I had first started dating where we had for two years straight I didn't feel this way.

It was a Saturday afternoon as I sat eating popcorn and watching TV with Courtney. She was busy on her cell phone, not paying attention to what we were watching. Which was coincidently _The Prince of Egypt. _No doubt she was texting this boy from school who seemed interested in her. They went to school band shows a lot, it was so cute.

"Texting Joel?"

A light pink blush graced her lips as her head shot up, "No! I don't know what you're talking about."

I giggled while taking another handful of popcorn, "Jesus, it's so fucking boring out."

"I wanna go to the pool."

"It's already two in the afternoon."

Courtney shrugged while going back to her phone, "Maybe Joel will wanna go to the pool with me."

Raising my eyes, I asked with a triumphant smirk, "I thought you weren't talking to him?"

Instantly she shut up and placed her phone back on the coffee table. The house seemed so quiet. It had since Dalia had moved out. As we were getting older Mom and Dad felt more comfortable going out and enjoying their marriage. Cameron was always out now that it was summer playing baseball or soccer with friends. It was really just me and Courtney who as of late seemed like couch potatoes.

Midway through the movie our brother walked through the door, drenched in sweat. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, Cameron walked over to where we were, "Jesus, you guys are in the same position as when I left."

"There's nothing to do." Courtney whined.

"Go out walking."

"I'm not an exercise fiend like you two."

Cameron would never understand why Courtney didn't like working out. It was true, we were a family of good health. Not to say we didn't eat junk food every once in a while, but for the most part we were pretty active. Mom and Dad would wake up early everyday to take their morning walk, Cameron was always out playing some sport with friends, Dalia did yoga, and I went to the gym four to five days out of the week.

The problem with Courtney was she had a large chest and I knew it hurt her to work out. When Dalia or me wore a sports bra it did the trick and we are able to work out with no problem. My little sister on the other hand had a chest that was bigger than what was meant to be for her frame.

There was then a knock at the door, Cameron walking over to open the door, "Well, heyyyy, Layla."

My dreadlocked friend laughed and stepped in, "Oh baby, that's how I like my men. Nice and sweaty. Honey, I can smell you from here, go shower."

The girls laughed as my brother rolled his eyes and went upstairs to clean himself. Poor guy, he had been trying with Layla for years. She then stepped in and sat next to me, "Good morning, beautiful."

"You didn't even call." I laughed.

"I know I wanted to surprise you," She replied and slung her arm around my shoulder, "What's up with you? You been a ghost since the club."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I haven't been in the partying mood."

"Bullshit."

We were quiet for a moment before she spoke, "Terry hasn't shut up about your friend Anubis. Leave it to you to find a man who has a name like that. And oh God did James ever talk."

"I love how I'm not the promiscuous one, yet my love life is always up for discussion."

"That's the problem with hanging around someone you fucked. Especially James; so overprotective. How do you deal with that?"

I sighed, "Hence why I broke up with him. I can't deal with that."

"Let's go out tonight."

* * *

><p>Layla was always so convincing. She came to me with those big blue eyes of hers and could get me to do practically anything. So, with that said I ran into the shower and got dressed. I decided I didn't want to dress up as much tonight, throwing my hair up in a simple ponytail, simple eyeliner, a black tank top, jean shorts, and a pair on converse.<p>

The good thing about where I lived was it was in walking distance to the train. I had a license, but didn't have enough money to buy my own car. Mom and Dad let me use theirs every once in a while, but I was never comfortable with driving to the city. Especially when I knew I was drinking.

Layla and I took the train to city and spent the majority of the day sightseeing. Up until the night time we explored the city. That was the great thing about our friendship, we could start talking and several hours went by so fast. We had been friends since we were little and it was nice we could keep that friendship even though both of us had changed so much.

Layla was beautiful. I know I say that about so many girls who are around me, but she really is. She's a mix of a lot of nationalities that gave her big oval blue eyes, sun kissed skin, and dirty blonde hair that she currently wore in dreads. She always appreciated my obsession with Egyptian mythology since she was a little Egyptian herself.

Right before me and James hooked up I thought I was attracted to Layla and we had tried it out, but both of us discovered that just wasn't the case. Now, we were just very close. And I could tell her anything, "So, will Anubis be joining us tonight?"

She asked over the pumping music as we waited online outside the club. Everyone else was already inside, "I don't know. I haven't heard from him since the last time. He has a habit…of just showing up."

"You seem so struck by him. Who is he?"

I bit my lower lip. Part of me wanted to tell her who she really was, but I know she'd look at me like I had two heads. Besides, I wanted to be respectful of Anubis's godhood and keep it to myself, "An enigma."

Layla laughed as we finally got into the club. People were bouncing all around as we made our way to our group, Joanne greeting us happily. Terry got up and kissed our cheeks as James looked to be wallowing with his drink. I rolled my eyes, this is what I was afraid of. Every time he ever saw me with another man, even when I would hang out with Cameron, he became such an asshole.


	5. Chapter 5

Happy Fourth of July Everyone! hope everyone has had a good week and enjoys the festivities! Be safe everyone =] Thanks those who have reviewed and put my story on alert. Your support continues to make me happy! I love you all! Reviews make me happy, I'd love to hear what you think!

Disclaimer: all original characters are mine!

Chapter Five

Three drinks in, I found myself in the booth we were in with James's arm wrapped around me. I didn't understand it. Why was he on me like this? I raised my eyes as I felt his fingers brushing against my shoulder, slowly pushing him away. He was so drunk and so sloppy right now. It was annoying me as I stood up and walked towards the bar, I needed another drink.

As I was ordering another drink, I felt someone tapping my shoulder. Turning around, I felt my insides start to burn again. There was Anubis, standing in front of me with that amazing grin of his. I bit my lower lip as his hand touched my arm and his lips kissed my cheeks, "Are you following me?" I teased.

"Nefer, I'm hurt." He smiled.

I smiled back as my drink was placed in front of me. I was about to take money out of my hand held purse when Anubis threw a ten dollar bill on the counter. I thanked him before another man appeared behind him. I couldn't help but think this man looked a bit like a hawk. He wasn't unattractive, his features were just a little bird-like. His hair was short and blonde and slicked back in a Draco Malfoy style.

"Alexis, I'd like you to meet my brother; Horus."

Shaking hands with the sky god, I smiled. I was meeting probably one of the most important Egyptian god. I felt a little silly, after all I had the Eye of Horus inked on me.

"Aw, that's cute. Brothers bonding."

The two laughed as Horus placed his hand on Anubis's shoulder, "More like mooching brother. I haven't seen this jackal in Ra knows how long and when I do he's asking me if he could stay at my apartment."

Anubis was rolling his eyes as I asked, "You own an apartment around here?"

"Why, yes. While he's been guarding tombs for the past thousand years I've been spending my time living amongst the mortals. I find your lives so much more fun than our world," He took a sip of his alcoholic beverage, "The people of our time were just _so _serious."

"Well, we do like to have fun." I smiled while sipping on my drink.

I could feel Anubis about to ask me to dance when Terry appeared behind me. I caught a glimpse of her number and rolled my eyes. She really wanted to get laid tonight, you should have seen how short her dress was. Terry was a little fuller than I was in all the right places and had no qualms about showing off her curves.

"Well, if it isn't Alexis's cute friend."

The god of the dead leaned against the bar and eyed her up and down, "Terry, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Not at all," She cooed, her powder pink lips puckering, "So refreshing to see a handsome face in this club."

I smacked my hand to my forehead as Horus laughed, speaking a foreign language to Anubis that I could only imagine was the Ancient Egyptian language. Terry leaned into his body, "I love a man who is bilingual."

"Oh, darling, I know more than just two."

I could tell my friend was getting turned on. It bothered me a little truthfully. I didn't know how I felt about the god, but it was still bothersome. Jesus, I had just had a confusing moment in the club's bathroom two weeks ago. Locking eyes with him, I could see him raise his eyebrows. His arms were resting back on the bar as she was leaning into him, not entirely listening to my friend talk.

Looking away, I noticed James coming towards me. Jesus, could I feel any more uncomfortable? My ex moved in front of me, blocking my view of Anubis, "Baby, let's dance!"

"Ja-" Cut off, James grabbed my hand and dragged me to the dance floor.

Honestly I didn't want to grind up next to James's body, but in his drunken state he had me practically on top of him. His hands were on my ass and his face in my neck. I hadn't the heart to shove him away, he was just so drunk. Slurring his words, he spoke in my ear, "Why'd you leave me, Lex? All I wanted was to make you feel good…lemme fuck you."

"No!" I exclaimed, "James, you're drunk! You know it never works between us."

"That's because I'm an idiot."

I sighed as he swung his hips against me, moving my head to the side. I didn't want to look at him. God, I felt so uncomfortable. At this point I really had no romantic feelings towards him anymore. I thought we could have maintained a friendship and for the most part it worked. But, when he was drunk it just wasn't fun.

As my eyes roamed the dance floor, I came upon something that truly upset me. Right in the corner was Anubis on one of the couches with Terry mounted on top of him. They were furiously making out with my friend grinding up against his crouch, the god yanking at her hair. I bit my lower lip as I watched his hands crawl up her thighs up into her skimpy dress.

Trying to prevent eyes from tearing up, I looked back at James. I watched the curvy girl jump up and grab Anubis's hand, leading him to god knows where. I don't know why I felt so upset, but with alcohol affecting my mind I wasn't about to make the best decision, "James?"

"Hm?"

"Take me home."

* * *

><p>Yes, I had sex with James. It was awful. He barely made it to his apartment in the village. And he passed out during. But, I suppose that was really my fault. I didn't have sex with him because I wanted to or even because I was horny. Instead it was an attempt to make myself feel better. I knew I sounded horrible, using my ex-boyfriend to validate my worth.<p>

Thankfully, James understood in the morning. We were just two drunk people not properly thinking. If we were ever going to establish a friendship we needed to keep sex out of it. Though, I didn't want to mention the Anubis and Terry thing to him, knowing he'd still be upset.

Two days later I found myself working at the hair salon. It was pretty dead. Primarily because it was raining. Who wanted their hair blown out of a shitty day? Still, I got paid regardless and was able to surf the web. Terry hadn't texted me since and I didn't want to break it up. Not that she noticed anything, but I was surprised she didn't text me to let me know how her escapade was. My friends had no problem talking about their sex lives.

I excused myself and went to the backroom. In the backroom there was a door that lead to the outside where us employees usually took our cigarette breaks. And that's exactly what I did. Yes, I know I should quit. This is actually a pretty recent habit that I had no idea how it came to life with me. I use to be so against it, always begging my father to quit. Now he hadn't smoked in three years and I've smoked for two.

Blowing some smoke out into the air, my coworker Toni stepped out with me, "Lex, some guy's here for you."

I raised my eyebrows, automatically thinking it was James. If it were Cameron they would have told me and Ricky never visited. Stubbing out my cigarette, I walked back inside to see Anubis with his back faced to the main desk. His hair was let loose and straight today, resting pass his shoulders. He was wearing a white tank top to show off his strong shoulders, toned arms, and toned chest. He wasn't insanely muscular like James, instead he was lean with definition. On his hips hugged jeans along with sneakers, his shirt tucked in. A look in men I had always liked.

"Anubis?"

Turning around, he greeted me more somberly than usual. There was no dashing smile or a happy greeting. Instead his hands were tucked into his jeans as he stepped forward, "I apologize if I'm bothering you at work."

Shrugging slightly, I managed a small smile, "It's no problem. It's been so slow."

"What time does your shift end?"

"In an hour."

"May I take you to lunch?"

I bit my lower lip and shuffled my feet. I wasn't sure what to say. I felt bad if I didn't agree, watching him leave and smoke a cigarette outside. My boss had come up to me, asking my all sorts of questions about my cute friend. In no mood to answer any of them, I tried to go back to my work. Instead all my boss could be occupied with was him, so much so she let me out so that we could go to lunch. If only she knew who he really was.

Still unsure of how to act around Anubis, I stepped out of the salon where he was waiting for me. Instantly I lit up a cigarette, blowing the smoke out into the air. You could cut the tension with a knife, neither of us talking as we began walking. I wasn't sure as to what I should say, not even sure how I was feeling. I almost felt stupid for making it so awkward, I just couldn't help it.

"I slept with your friend," He blurted out, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, "We went to the ladies room and…yea."

Biting my lower lip, I turned my gaze downwards, "That's what I had figured."

I felt my chin being lifted up by his finger, a frown on his face, "I know it's not much of an excuse, but…I…." He then took in a deep breath, "Haven't gotten laid in two thousand years."

My eyes went wide, silent for a moment. Finally I spoke, "Oh God…that's horrible."

"Yea," He let out a sheepish laugh and ran his hand through his hair, "I wasn't going to. I really had no attraction to her. I told you, I don't like women just throwing themselves at me. But-"

"I know, I walked out on you…" I interrupted.

His hand forced me to look into his now stern eyes, "No, it wasn't that. I can respect you. I was moving too fast. After all you are a mortal and I am a god…it must be hard for you to comprehend that. And it's selfish of me to just presume you feel the same way about me."

"But-"

"No," He stopped me, "I'm just letting you know how I feel. I just…saw James on you and…it affected me."

Sighing, I admitted, "He was all over me. I didn't want to do anything. But, I saw you and Terry making out and…I was drunk and I really just needed the attention. As horrible as it sounds."

He shook his head, "Not at all. We are of the flesh and the flesh has needs. I just…hope you'll continue to talk to me."

Smiling, I nodded, "Of course. But, why won't you let me tell you how I feel?"

"Because," He started, "Your world is completely different than mine. In mine world wind romances start at first glances. We're supernatural so being with someone for thousands of years doesn't matter. But, you're human. That's not how it works. I've watched your kind play around their feelings for years and become hurt. I just want to have fun and not make this hard for you. If a man comes in your life you should feel free to pursue him, not wonder what's going on because we had an incident in the bathroom. All I'm saying is…I want to be your friend."

A weak smile formed on my lips, taking all he had said in. Truthfully, I didn't know how to feel. Before that one night at the club I had enjoyed our time in Egypt, but was still intimidated by the fact he was a god. I had really no sexual attraction for him even though he is insanely good looking. His personality was truly breathtaking but I didn't know if I was attracted to it as a friend or more. Truthfully, I didn't want to be in a relationship with anyone, too concentrated on my future for that.

It felt like Anubis and I had established the start of something nice. I still didn't know him fully and he still didn't know me.

"So…you slept with him, hm?"

"Yes."

"How was it?"

I groaned as he laughed, "Oh, Nefer, each of your sexual experiences should be wonderful. What's the point otherwise?" He suddenly hung his arm around my shoulders, "My brother Horus would be perfect-"

Laughing, I tried to stray away from the topic, "How was your sexual experience?"

I tried not to laugh as his placed his hand over his chest in such a theatrical way, "Well, I was amazing. Your friend on the other hand needs to stop being so full of herself."

"Yea, that's Terry." I rolled her eyes.

Anubis scoffed, "I'd rather take it up the ass than fuck her again."

We reached Anubis's car, which was a yellow Corvette. No surprise there. I snickered at the comment, "I'm sure she'd hate to hear that."

The engine roared, "Oh, I told her."

"No wonder she didn't text me the details."


	6. Chapter 6

TC Stark: Ughhh I can't believe it's been so long since I've last updated! Thank you guys for being patient with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter! If it's a little shorter than before, I apologize. I ran out of prewritten pages so this is coming out of the ol' noggin lol But, I promise I will continue thinking up of ideas for this story! I know a couple of points I want to write and where I want it to go, but if you guys have any suggestions about what you'd like to see in between, lemme know! Love you guys! Oh! And thank you lovely reviewers for crossing over from my Loki fics, I swear you're all the best! :)

Disclaimer: All original characters are mine, unfortunately though I do not own any mythology

Chapter Six

Anubis took me to a local Greek restaurant where we were currently sharing grape leaves. Mid-bite he asked me, "Ever been in love?"

"Once. I think."

He raised an eyebrow, "You think?"

I shrugged sheepishly, "James I had been on and off since I was a teenager. Anyone in between was just a sexual fling. But, I was 18 and we had been broken up for six months. In between that time I met Jarvis. He was a marine just coming home from a tour in Iraq. I think at the time he was 25. He was…really great. We spent a lot of time together since he knew he'd be going back soon. It was one of those gaga moments. Every time I saw him I smiled and we never fought. Honestly, I can't say anything bad about him."

"So why do you think and not know that you loved him?"

Shrugging, I sipped on my water, "I'm unsure if I loved him for who he was or what he represented. He wasn't jealous at all. He enjoyed hearing about my mythological passion. I could go out with friends without having my phone bombarded with texts asking where I was. But, the relationship never got to blossom. After three months he left for Iraq and I never saw him again."

"Why not?"

"He was killed."

I could tell Anubis didn't expect for me to say that, smiling at him, "It's fine. I went to the wake and funeral so I was able to say goodbye and get closure. What I did love about Jarvis was he showed me that I didn't have to settle. My relationship with James was few and far between after that until three months ago when I vowed never to date him again."

"Was Jarvis good in bed?"

"I'm not talking about that," I laughed as our dishes were set down in front of us, "What about you? Have you ever been in love?"

Letting out a small huff, the Egyptian god took a sip of his Mojito, "Never. It was never my concern. I was always such a solitary god because of my business."

Chewing on my feta salad, I observed, "I cannot see you as solitary. You seem so full of energy and always on the go."

"That's in this world. In mine I don't talk much. I stay in Duat waiting for nothing in particular. I was going to go back, but you proved to be more fun."

"Oh?"

We shared a laugh, "Also, Horus had been nagging me for years to come to this world. Ours is so inactive ever since people stopped believing."

"So….do they all roam our world?"

Anubis shook his head, "No. A lot are happy in their own worlds. The Mayans…the Nordic gods…a lot of my kind. A lot of the Greeks love Mount Olympus; they'd never want to leave it. Well, except Hades. His world is that is despair…we always got along so well. We were forced upon a job that had to be done, forced to live in solitude. Although, he does have Persephone."

A part of me felt really bad for the man in front of me. To have infinite life and power…and yet had never felt love. I knew a part of me would always love James and if it wasn't love it was adoration for Jarvis. But, how would I feel if I had never felt love before? I tried to think about it, but when I did I became saddened.

"Don't pity me."

"I'm not."

A dashing smile came upon his face, winking, "You humans can be so easy to read at times."

I gave a little scowl as I could feel my cheeks reddening a bit, rolling my eyes, "How can you be so sure?"

"You wouldn't get defensive if I weren't right."

* * *

><p>I hadn't expected Anubis to drop me off at home. I also didn't expect him to invite himself into my house. I didn't mind terribly, but I had no idea how my family would react. My parents were relatively acceptable about all of their children's friends, even me and Courtney's guy friends. How was I going to explain this though?<p>

Anubis was insanely convincing as I opened the door with my heart pounding a mile a minute. The house seemed empty, though I knew people were around since there were cars in the driveway. The god helped himself around the kitchen and living room, as if observing my family's taste. I opened up the fridge to pour us both water as he came up to me with a smile.

"You have good tastes. Very modern, but with a welcoming feel."

Scratching the back of my neck, I laughed sheepishly, "Thanks. It's really my parents' tastes. Every couple of years they redo the whole house. They don't want to move, so to them it's like having a new house."

Anubis took the glass I had poured for him, taking another look around, "You don't see your tastes though."

"It's not my house. My room more so reflects me."

As we were talking, I watched Courtney walk down the stairs from her room. Her eyebrow was raised as she walked towards up, fixed on the man the whole time, "Ugh, heyyyy, Lex."

Smiling, I introduced right away, "Anubis, this is my younger sister Courtney. Court, this is Anubis. We met in Egypt."

The two shook hands as he observed, "You two look very much alike."

"Yea, right. Alexis isn't covered in freckles like I am."

I rolled my eyes as he chimed in, "You look beautiful."

I could tell Courtney was a little embarrassed, by now realizing Anubis does not hold back his tongue. Changing the subject I asked, "Courtney, where's mom and dad?"

"In the back, they were barbequing."

Excusing ourselves, I decided to introduce him to my parents before they walked in and saw a gorgeous man standing in their house. I could imagine he had never been introduced to parents before, just thinking how modern that was. They had never not liked someone I had brought home, but knowing who he really was just made me all the more nervous.

We had to step down into the basement that was turned into an entertainment room my parents used when we had company over. I pointed to him where my room was on the other side of the hall before stepping through the sliding doors to the outside. We had a nice backyard with a basketball hoop, a nice lawn, a nice patio set with an umbrella and a grill.

Mom and dad were sitting in the nice cushioned seats with vacant plates in front of them. They seemed to be enjoying the outside as mom smoked her Virginia Slims. My mother was 45 and my father was 47 and in my opinion still incredibly good looking. Mother dyed her hair red and father had short blonde hair. I gotta say, I got good looking parents.

"Mom, dad," My voice was shaking, I felt like an idiot, "I'd like you to meet my friend Anubis."

My father looked up at the god strangely, "Come again?"

Like so many times before Anubis laughed it off and shook both of my parent's hands, my mother eying him up and down. After meeting James and Jarvis she was trying to decide whether or not this was a man I was involved with. My insides were burning as the god acted ever so naturally while interacting with my parents, even accepting a beer and lounging in one of the chairs.

In order to try and calm my nerves I lit up a cigarette to which Anubis asked me for one as well. It seemed so surreal to have him in my house, talking to my parents. As my dad popped open another beer he asked, "How long are you in America for?"

"I'm not completely sure," Anubis took a swig of his beer, "I'm staying with my brother right now and I know he hasn't set a specific time limit for me. I'm enjoying myself as of now," His eyes then shifted over to me, "So it's all up in the air."

* * *

><p>Somehow hours had gone by and night took over the sky. My parents had a party to go to at a friend's house where they would be most likely until two in the morning. Cameron was out camping with some friends and Courtney was off to the movies. So really it was just Anubis and I in the house. A small part of me felt butterflies in my stomach, but I wanted to get over that so that we could be close friends.<p>

The god was lying back in the lawn chair with his left arm resting behind his head while the other held a cigarette. I too was smoking as I held my legs close to my chest, "Would I ever be able to…y'know…"

"Come to my world?"

"Yea."

Pulling in a breath of tainted air, he shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Nefer, no mortal has ever been to our world. I believe the very sight would be too much for any mortal."

I let out a longing sigh, "Too bad. I would love to see it. I'm sure it's beautiful."

"Oh, it is," He gave a white toothed grin while looking over to me, "Do you have a bathing suit?"

My eyes went wide as I nodded. I was then instructed to go put it on and meet him back outside. I have no idea why I agreed, but a nighttime swim did sound like a good idea. Our in ground pool wasn't that big but it was nice all the same. I remember growing up wanting a pool and being incredibly excited when mom got her big raise and installed the pool.

Coming out in a purple bikini, I saw Anubis had already made himself comfortable in the pool. I saw his clothing neatly placed on the lounge chair, assuming he had stripped down to his boxers. I saw his eyes hungrily watch my body as it slipped into the water, relieved that the heat from the day had left the water warm.

"Are you ready?"

Raising my eyebrow, I nodded even though I wasn't completely sure what I was readying myself for. With a devious grin the Egyptian placed his hand on the ground next to the pool, transforming the pool and the backyard into an Egyptian palace. Just like the first time my mouth hung open, amazed by what was surrounding me. It was all so beautiful, so magnificent that I shouldn't even attempt to find words for the beauty.

It then hit me, "What about the neighbors!"

He waved me off, "Don't fret. Only you and I can see this magnificent sight. You said you wish you could see what my world looked like. I can't bring you there, but this is the least I can do."

I smiled, "It's beautiful."


End file.
